Konoha University
by teganharuno
Summary: Sakura starts college at Konoha University and falls in love with Sasuke Uchiha. But she can't have Sasuke without consequences.
1. Sakura's Introduction

Sakura Haruno stepped into her new dorm room. She was confident about the life she was beginning as a college student, academics were her strongest skill. Upon entering the door she sat her bags down and brushed her pink bangs out of her face, her sparkling green eyes taking in her surroundings. Suddenly, she was greeted by a girl with long blonde hair, pulled tightly back in a ponytail centered perfectly on the back of her head. Her blue eyes were glowing with enthusiasm.

"Hi! I'm Ino Yamanaka! Looks like we're roommates!" She said, with confidence that clearly stated she was in charge of everything that would occur inside that room.

"Hi. I'm Sakura Haruno. Are you a sophomore?" Sakura asked. Ino looked at her with a cocky grin.

"No, actually I'm a freshman, too." She replied, looking to the corner of the room as her grin widened. "My father is a professor here, so I know the campus like the back of my hand. If you want I can show you around." Sakura nodded, not sure if she was going to like this girl or hate her.

"Sure. That would be great!" She exclaimed, deciding to give Ino a chance. Ino quickly grabbed Sakura by the wrist and dragged her out the door, running to the end of the hall, leading Sakura down the stairs and out of the door to the campus quad. As she was pointing to buildings and areas of lawn and explaining what they were and who could use them, Sakura's eye caught a quick glimpse of raven black hair whooshing past them. She jerked her hand away from Ino's, following the boy with her eyes.

"Who's that?" She asked. He was a couple inches taller than her and his hair was messy, spikes of it sticking up in the back while his bangs hung carelessly in his face. She couldn't see his eyes, but she was dying to. He was standing next to a blonde haired boy who was talking rather loudly and moving frantically. The raven haired boy was clearly irritated by the blonde.

"That's Sasuke Uchiha, probably the hottest guy here. But don't even think about trying anything with him. He belongs to Karin Uzumaki." Ino said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

"Oh. He's in a relationship?" Sakura asked. She didn't know why she'd asked such a dumb question, if he belonged to this "Karin" girl then clearly he was in a relationship with her.

"No." Ino replied flatly. "She's just obsessed with him and she will start shit with any girl who even looks at him with affection."

"Oh." Sakura said. Maybe it wasn't such a dumb question, after all. "Are you in a relationship, Ino?" Sakura looked at Ino, only to see the same cocky grin as before appear on Ino's face.

"Of course I am! I'm dating Sai Kishimoto. He's AMAZING! He has all the characteristics ANY girl would want in a guy…" Sakura's attention trailed off as Sasuke walked passed them again, this time slightly glancing at Sakura. That was just enough for Sakura to see his eyes. They were such a dark blue that they looked black, you couldn't tell pupil from iris. When Sakura regained focus, Ino was muttering something about how great Sai was in bed. Clearly, this girl had no filter for what came out of her mouth. But, ultimately, in the end, she decided that she and Ino could be good friends. That thought comforted her, because she was going to need a friend who was a confident and controlling as Ino if she were going to have Karin threatening her. Sakura smiled deviously.

"So, Ino-chan…who is the blonde boy that Sasuke was standing next to?" Sakura asked, hiding her ulterior motive behind her eyes. Ino looked at Sakura, glad that she could be used for so much information. Like most things about Ino, it was clear that she liked gossip.

"That's Naruto Uzumaki. He's pretty popular here. He used to be a real loser, but he grew out of it for the most part. He's Sasuke's best friend, they go everywhere together. He's really annoying though, I don't see how Sasuke can even stand to be around him." She rolled her eyes again.

"Didn't you say that Karin's last name is Uzumaki? So they're related?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're cousins. But Naruto can't stand Karin. Sasuke tolerates her, but I don't think he even likes her. He doesn't like anyone." She said, looking confused as she pondered it in her own mind. Sakura nodded, and then told Ino that she needed to go. She planned to talk to Naruto, practicing what she'd say and ask in her mind. She wanted, or maybe needed, more information on Sasuke.


	2. Sasuke's Introduction

Sasuke entered his dorm room. The window was open and it gently caressed his raven black bangs. His onyx eyes glanced to his roommate's bed. Naruto had already moved his stuff in and made his self comfortable. He set his bags down on the floor beside his bed and sat down. He already knew the campus well since his brother Itachi was a senior here. However, he had time to kill since it was so early. Gracefully, seemingly without effort, he lifted himself from the bed and exited the room. He headed down the hall, his hands in his pockets and his eyes to the floor as he thought about how he was now in the same university as his brother. He was constantly competing with Itachi, but somehow Itachi always kept one step ahead. Itachi was his father's favorite, and his father was tougher on him. Itachi didn't even like his father, he constantly disobeyed orders and stayed out all night. Suddenly, Sasuke heard a loud, demanding voice as he turned the hall. He looked up to me Karin's stare. Karin Uzumaki refused to ever leave him alone, and he despised her. She was the kind of girl who was easy to manipulate. In other words, she was a complete tool. He stopped, awaiting her approach. She ran over and latched onto him quickly.

"Sasuke-kun! I'm so glad we go to the same University now! I can't stand not seeing you!" She bawled. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Karin," He said, "I can't talk right now. I have to find Naruto so I can ask him questions before class starts." He lied. She pouted, and then insisted that she go with him. "No," He replied flatly, "one obnoxious Uzumaki is enough." He said harshly. Hurt, she hung her head and turned away. "Fine!" She whined. Sasuke walked away quickly before she could change her mind on how hurt she was. He ran across campus when he saw Naruto leaning against the railing of the bridge that crossed the creek to the other half of the University. He was yelling something about how he'd knock this brown haired boy's teeth down his throat. Sasuke leaned his back against the railing.

"Our first day here and you're already making trouble, eh?" He smirked.

"Hey! That douche bag started it! Man, I hate skater punks! Dattebayo!" He explained, shaking his fist at the brown haired boy. "So I heard that a lot of people for our high school are attending this university this year." He said, quickly changing the topic as if he didn't even remember his argument with the brown haired boy. Sasuke chuckled.

"Mn. Karin got in." He said with an agitated expression.

"Dammit! I can't stand her! You know she's only here because you are! Gah, this is all your fault! Stupid teme!" He exclaimed. Sasuke punched him in the shoulder.

"It isn't like I invited her! I can't stand her either." He regained his composure. Naruto whined about his shoulder hurting then changed the topic to other people who got into the university.

"I hear Neji and Tenten are here. And I'm pretty sure Hinata got in. Oh, and look! There's Ino!" He pointed to a blonde over by the dorm building. She was standing next to a short girl with long pink hair. Sasuke studied her body, unintentionally.

"Ooooh, who is she? She's really pretty! I should go talk to her!" Naruto screamed. Sasuke grabbed him by his jacket collar and pulled him back.

"She doesn't know you enough about you, you'll scare her off." He joked. Naruto glared. Sasuke glanced back at the pink haired girl, then looked off into the distance. "Well, I'm gonna go get my stuff for class. I guess I'll see you later." He left Naruto on the bridge then head back toward the dorms to grab his books. As he passed the pink hair girl he couldn't help but glance at her. He quickly looked away, however when he realized she was staring him down. "Was she blushing?" He thought to himself. "Did she see me staring at her? …I hope not." He stared down at his feet as he walked, his hands in his pockets.


	3. How About Lunch

Sakura approached Naruto. He seemed to be zoned out, leaning over the railing and staring down at the creek below the bridge.

"Um, excuse me? Naruto?" She asked. She was startled as he jumped back and spun around to look at her.

"Oh, hi there!" He exclaimed. "Can I help you! Wait how did you know my name? Have I talked to you before? I don't remember if I did! I think I'd remember talking to someone as cute as you!" He blushed while rubbing the back of his head.

"Um, no. Haha. You don't know me. My name's Sakura Haruno. Ino-chan told me who you were, and I just thought you seemed cool." This was somewhat the truth. She giggled. Naruto blushed again.

"Oh. Well thanks!" He smiled.

"So, who was that boy you were talking to a while ago?" She figured she might as well get straight to the topic she was after.

"Oh! That's my best friend, Sasuke! He's an asshole sometimes but he's a good friend! Hm, why so curious?" Naruto asked as he started to get skeptical.

"Oh, I'm just trying to learn more about the people here. I don't really know anyone." She rubbed her arm and stared at her feet, pretending to be timid.

"Well them maybe I can introduce to everyone after class!" Naruto exclaimed, rather excited by the thought of getting to spend time with Sakura. Sakura loved the idea since she knew Sasuke would probably be the first person he'd introduce her to.

"That sounds great! Thank you, Naruto-kun!" She added "Kun" to make herself sound flirtatious. Naruto blushed.

Sakura's first two classes went by agonizingly slow. As she glanced around the class third period she saw spikey, raven black hair in the fourth row. She was in the sixth. She couldn't stop staring at him half of the period, waiting and wishing for him to turn around so she could see his well sculpted face. However, never did. When class ended she waited for everyone to leave before her. As she exited the doors she accidently bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed. As she looked up to see who it was, her heart stopped. Sasuke's onyx eyes stared into her pools of green for a brief moment.

"It's fine." He said, looking up at the ceiling and shoving his hands into his pockets. She could hardly breathe.

"No, I should really be more careful. I-it w-won't happen again!" She replied. He sighed.

"Mn." He said. Then he closed his eyes and walked away. Sakura stared after him. She wanted to chase him down and talk to him, but she could tell she had already irritated him. She sighed and walked away, looking for Naruto. She found him on the other side of the building, coming out of a history class of sorts. He looked like he had just woken up.

"Oh! Hi, Sakura-chan!" He said, looking suddenly alive. "Ano…I'm sorry. But I can't take you around campus and introduce you to anyone today. Sasuke wanted to go to the mall and have lunch. But, you're welcome to come along if you want!" He eyes sparkled at the thought, and he leaned closer to her waiting for her reply. This was perfect, it was even better than she'd hoped.

"Naruto-kun, I'd love to!" She said, grabbing both of his wrists and hopping with joy.

"Great!" Naruto screamed. He grabbed her wrists and dragged her down the hall and down the stairs. "Sasuke should be on his way to the mall right now! We'll meet him there!" Sakura's stomach was full of butterflies. She couldn't wait to be around him but she didn't know how she would act. On their way to the mall, Sakura's anticipation was getting the best of her. She was fidgeting and playing with her hair. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She smiled at him. That was reassuring enough for him.

"I hope Sasuke doesn't get mad that I'm bringing you." He said. Her stomach twisted into a knot. "He's not really a people person. More of a loner, really. I'm pretty much the only one he ever talks to." Sakura wondered for a brief moment if Sasuke might be gay, but then refused to think about it any further. They approached Sasuke as they entered the food court. "Hey, teme! This is Sakura!" Naruto said. Sasuke nodded.

"Mn." He said, staring her down with an unreadable expression. "The girl from earlier." He thought. "Why is she with Naruto?" He glared at his best friend.

"Hey, don't get mad that we have a little extra company!" Naruto exclaimed in reply to Sasuke's glare. Sakura's stomach dropped. Now she didn't want to be here. Sasuke glanced at her again, then turned around and head for a table. Naruto followed, dragging Sakura behind. They sat down and Sasuke stared at Naruto, refusing to make eye contact with Sakura. Her glittering green eyes were too piercing. "Sakura-chan! You haven't even said anything since we got here! Are you sure you're alright?" Naruto asked.

"Chan?" Sasuke thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Naruto." She dropped the "Kun" now that she was around Sasuke. "Just a bit nervous is all." Sasuke looked over at her.

"Why are you nervous?" He asked. Sakura blushed, realizing she stated her feelings.

"Um…I just don't know you…" She said. "And I still feel bad for bumping into you after third period."

"I told you it was fine." Sasuke said harshly. He added, "It's useless to dwell on things of the past." When he realized he had startled her with his first response. Her face flushed a little and she stared down at the table. Naruto cluelessly watched the interaction between the two.

"I'm surprised Sasuke isn't flirting with you! He really likes girls with long hair!" Naruto said. Sasuke kicked him under the table. Sakura threw out her theory about him being gay. She looked at Sasuke and realized he was blushing. She giggled and Sasuke glared at Naruto. "So is Ino you're roommate, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah." Sakura smiled. "She seems pretty nice. She told me about your cousin, Karin." Sasuke twitched. He knew that they had to have talked about him, then. "She said that she was pretty annoying and controlling." Sakura continued.

"What is she controlling about?" Sasuke asked, smirking at Sakura. Sakura's whole face turned red as she realized that she had less of a filter than Ino.

"Um…I don't know. Ino didn't really…explain…" She lied. Sasuke's smirk disappeared and he stared Sakura down, making her whole body flush.

"She is…really annoying." Sasuke said, trying to make Sakura more comfortable.

"You can say that again!" Naruto screamed. Sakura held Sasuke's gaze, his onyx eyes seemed to stare into her soul. She quickly looked away. "Speak of the Devil." Naruto said, "Look, Karin's here." Everyone at the table turned to see Karin exiting one of the stores, heading straight for them.


	4. Trouble

Sasuke quickly grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her next to him. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. Sakura blushed.

"Sasuke…what are you doing?" She asked, staring him down, terrified.

"Just go with it." He said, staring at Karin. Sakura knew Karin was going to target her, now. Ino's words echoed through her brain.

"Who the fuck are you?" She demanded from Sakura. Sakura glared, but didn't speak. "Hey, bitch, I asked you a question." She demanded again.

"I'm not obligated to answer any of your questions." Sakura replied. Sasuke's face was leaned against her's, trying to look intimate. She could feel him smirk against her cheek. This made her blush again. Karin opened her mouth to yell but Sasuke cut her off.

"Karin," He began "Fuck off." Karin's face went red with anger but she didn't dare test Sasuke. She stormed off, shoving a shopper out of her way. Sakura giggle. Sasuke leaned away from her face but he left his arm wrapped around her waist. Sakura stared at his hand holding her side. Sasuke realized he was still holding her and quickly pulled away, blushing. Naruto had been staring at them the whole time.

"Teme, you really shouldn't use Sakura-chan like that. Just to piss off Karin, I mean." His expression was serious. Sasuke glared.

"It's fine, Naruto! I don't mind. Really!" Sakura said, trying to break the tension between the two of them. Sasuke broke his stare and stared down at the table, looking guilty.

"He's right. I'm sorry, Sakura. I shouldn't have dragged you into this." He said, and looked at her expressionless.

"It's fine, Sasuke-kun! Really! I don't like her, anyway!" She exclaimed.

"Kun?" Naruto and Sasuke asked at the same time. However, Sasuke didn't mean to say it aloud. Sakura's face turned red.

"Um, I have to go!" She said. She sprang from the table and ran down the aisle.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed after her. "But I was your ride here! How are you gonna get back!?" Sasuke leaped from the table after Sakura. "Sasuke! Where the hell are you going!?" Sasuke didn't respond. He caught up to Sakura and grabbed her arm.

"Hey! Wait!" He said. He pulled Sakura back, a little too roughly and she slammed into him. They both blushed. Sasuke regained his composure. He sighed, as if irritated with her. "I'll take you home." He said.

"You really don't have to! It's not that far of a walk." She said.

"Why are you rushing off, anyway?" He asked. She looked at the ground.

"Ino-chan said she wanted to hang out more." She lied. He stared her down. There was an awkward pause for a couple of minutes.

"Mn." He said. "Come on." He walked passed her and headed for the doors. She followed. They didn't say anything to each other almost the whole ride back to the dorms. As they arrived at the campus, Sasuke stared at the steering wheel. "You referred to me as 'Sasuke-kun' earlier. Why?" He asked.

"It-it was an accident." She lied, blushing. He sighed.

"Mn." He opened up his car door and got out.

"What are you doing, Sasuke-" She stopped herself from adding "kun" to the end of his name. "Aren't you going to go back to the mall?" She asked.

"I figured I'd walk you to your dorm room. I have to ask Ino something, anyway." He said. Sakura nodded. They walked quietly, to the floor of Sakura's dorm. "Mn…What dorm number are you?" He asked, with a sense of urgency.

"Um…15B. Why?" Sakura replied. She gave him a confused look.

"Mine and Naruto's dorm is three rooms down…" He said, and smirked. Sakura didn't know the dorms weren't segregated by sex.

"Oh. That's cool." She smiled. They entered her dorm room and Sasuke studied it, mainly for some reason her bed. Then he walked over to Ino.

"Hey, I need you to spend any of you unoccupied time with Sakura." He said.

"Ano, why?" She asked, looking slightly upset by the demand.

"Because Karin is going to be after her now." Sasuke said. Ino's temper flared.

"What the hell did you do to Sakura! It's only her first day here! What did you do!?" She screamed. Sasuke blushed for an instant.

"I didn't do anything." He glared.

"Fine." Ino steamed. Sasuke smirked at Sakura then left the room. Ino stared down Sakura, studying her every move.


	5. Itachi

Sakura and Ino sat on Ino's bed and she told her everything that had happened at the mall. Ino kept bouncing around excitedly at every detail.

"Oh my gosh! Sasuke seems to like you! Ugh, that has to be killing Karin, which is awesome!" She screamed.

"Yeah, but now she's gonna come after me!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Pft, what the hell could she possibly do!?" Ino giggled. Sakura smiled, even though she was worried about what Karin WOULD do. She got up from the bed.

"Well, I was going to go get lunch since I haven't ate yet, I rushed out of the mall before we could order anything." Sakura said. Ino remembered how Sasuke requested she stay with Sakura at all times.

"I'll go with you!" Ino said, and she grabbed Sakura's hand and walked out the door with her. Once in the hallway, Sakura pulled her hand away from Ino's, resulting in her jerking backward into someone.

"Oh, I'm SO sorry!" She exclaimed. When she turned to see the person's face, she thought it was Sasuke. He looked almost identical to Sasuke, except that he had long hair and lines under his eyes. He smiled at her.

"It's fine." The man said, holding her shoulder as she backed away. "I don't believe I've met you. I'm Itachi Uchiha." Sakura's face flushed.

"Another Uchiha?" She thought to herself. "And this one…is even more handsome than the first…" She realized he was waiting for her to introduce herself. "Oh! I'm Sakura Haruno." She flashed a delicate smile. He grinned and lightly brushed her pink bangs out of her face.

"Sakura, huh? Befitting name." He chuckled as he pulled his fingers through a strand of her hair. Her face turned red. "Well, Sakura-chan, I guess I'll see you around." He smiled and walked away, nodding to Ino when he passed her.

"Oh my gosh!" Ino screamed. "You just got hit on by Itachi Uchiha! You now have both of the Uchihas after you! How does that make you feel!?" She demanded. Sakura giggled.

"I-I'm not sure…" She replied. Ino giggled and pulled her down the hallway.

"Itachi's the hottest senior here!" Ino screamed, a couple people turning to stare at the two girls. Ino parked her car in a crowded area down town and they walked down the sidewalk to find a good place to eat.

"Sakura-chan!" Someone screamed. They turned to see Naruto running towards them, Sasuke trailing behind with his hands in his pockets. "What are you two doing here!?" Naruto demanded.

"Lunch!" Ino said. Naruto got excited and grabbed them both by their wrists.

"Then you can join me and the teme!" Naruto yelled. "We're going to Ichiraku!"

"I thought you were going to get lunch at the mall?" Sakura asked.

"Well, after you and Sasuke left I decided that he and I would just get lunch somewhere else!" Naruto replied.

"Oh. I'm sorry for ruining your original plans!" Sakura said, realizing she had, unintentionally, dragged Sasuke off.

"Hehe It's fine, Sakura-chan! I prefer Ichiraku!" Naruto said.

"Ok." She replied. "Ano…Hey, Sasuke, I met your brother earlier." She said, turning joyfully to Sasuke. He looked up at her, glaring.

"Where?" Sasuke asked.

"Our dorm building." She said, looking at him in a confused manner. "Why did it matter where?" She wondered.

"Why was he there?" Sasuke asked.

"I-I don't know." Sakura said. "I just accidently bumped into him and he introduced himself."

"And totally flirted with her!" Ino cut in. Sasuke's eye twitched.

"What!? He flirted with you!" Naruto screamed.

"OH, YEAH!" Ino screamed. "He played with her hair and called her 'Sakura-chan!'" She said, giggling.

"Hn." Sasuke grumbled.


	6. The Akatsuki

Sasuke didn't speak much during lunch, with the exception of the occasional "hn's" and "shut up's" directed at Naruto. He wouldn't even glance over at the rest of the group, he seemed deep in thought. After lunch the girls headed back to their dorms.

"Did Sasuke seem upset to you?" Sakura asked, thinking over the recent occasion.

"He's always been quiet like that, if you ask me." Ino replied.

"Yeah, but he didn't even bicker with Naruto, or glare, or…anything…" Sakura said, looking at Ino in a confused manner. Ino just shrugged. Back at their dorm, the girls sat on Ino's bed and got to know each other better.

"So, what are your parents like, Sakura-chan?" Ino asked.

"Um…a little weird." Sakura giggled. "They're not strict or anything, but we bicker a lot. I'm just glad to get away for a while. What about yours?"

"Ha! Mine are the same. According to them I'm a rebellious child. He he. I just have MY OWN mind. I'm a lot like my father." Ino said. Sakura giggled. Ino definitely did have her own mind, and she like having control. "So, how many guys have you dated in your life?" Ino asked attentively.

"Um…well, I wasn't allowed to date when I was younger. I've only ever dated two guys. For a total of a week, I dated a guy named Rock Lee. He was a total creep so I had to leave him. And the other guy…was a sweetheart, but he was intimidating and scary at times. Very protective. His name was Gaara. I just broke up with him a month ago." Sakura replied, concentrating on picturing both guys.

"Only two guys!? Ever?" Ino gasped. "Ugh, we need to change that!" She screamed. Sakura blushed, a little worried about what Ino was pondering. There was a knock on the door, breaking Sakura and Ino's staring contest. Ino answered the door, Sakura close behind her. Itachi stood in the doorway, staring around Ino to Sakura.

"Hey." He said, a kind expression. Ino stepped out of the way. Itachi handed Sakura and envelope. As soon as it left his hand, he smirked and was pulled away by a guy with long blonde hair. Ino turned curiously to Sakura. Sakura stared at the envelope then looked up at Ino, confused and curious.

"Well OPEN IT!" Ino screamed, and then began giggling while shoving Sakura to her bed. Sakura opened the envelope and unfolded the paper it contained. She read the bold words printed in black ink.

"**Miss Haruno,**

**The Akatsuki would be pleased if you would attend our 2013 senior party. It will be held this Saturday in the Art Hall.**"

Sakura skimmed through the address, the contents, the plus one note, and the dress code. At the bottom of the page, there was a small handwritten note.

"Sakura-chan, you should feel a hint of importance, we don't normally invite freshman (with the exception of my little brother, of course.) I made the others agree to let you come. I can't wait to see you again.

~Itachi~"

Sakura's heart skipped a couple beats and she giggled. She turned to Ino, who was sitting next to her staring down at the note.

"There's a plus one! Wanna come with me?" She asked.

"Why don't you ask Sasuke?" Ino retorted, confused.

"He's already invited, and he's probably taking Naruto." She smiled warmly. Ino grinned and leaped with joy.

"Okay! Awesome!" She shrieked with excitement. Sakura peered down at all of the printed names at the end of the page.

"**Itachi, Deidara, Sasori, Pein, Konan, Kisame, Hidan, and Zetsu.**"

"Ano…Ino-chan…Who exactly are the Akatsuki?" Sakura asked.

"They're a fraternity here. All seniors. The only girl in that group is Konan, she's dating Pein. She's a total badass, but you wouldn't suspect it. She's really quiet and nice until you set her off."

"So, they're, like, preppy?" Sakura asked, seeming appalled at the thought of Itachi in a fraternity.

"Noooo! Actually, they're complete punks! Rebels, hardasses, just a troublesome group!" Ino said, seeming to be taken aback by her statement. "Whoa, totally sounded like Shika…I need to be more careful…" She mumbled to herself.

"Who's Shika?" Sakura asked, staring at Ino like she was crazy. "Itachi doesn't seem troublesome." She said.

"Shika is…an ex. And he doesn't seem troublesome to YOU, but you don't know him." She said, giggling.


	7. Confrontation

Sasuke and Naruto walked down the hallway towards their dorm after lunch. Sasuke halted at the sight of his brother coming towards him. Itachi slammed the palm of his hand into Sasuke's chest. Sasuke glared and glanced down, realizing Itachi was pressing an envelope up against him. Sasuke took it and Itachi casually walked away without saying a word. Sasuke sighed and grumbled.

"This must be the invite to the Akatsuki's senior frat party." He said. He opened the envelope to confirm his theory, and nodded. "There's a plus one…" He looked at Naruto. Naruto shook his head.

"Teme, why don't you take Sakura!?" Naruto suggested. Sasuke sighed.

"Hn, maybe I will." He replied. Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm. He turned to see Karin.

"Sasuke-kun!" She swooned. "Where have you been!?" She demanded.

"None of your damn business!" Naruto shouted at her. She glared at him.

"I wasn't asking you!" She yelled, and stuck her tongue out at Naruto like a child. Then she glanced down at the note in Sasuke's hand. "Ooo, is that the invite to that frat party? Jugo got invited, too! He's taking this chick he just met! Who're you taking?" She rambled.

"None of your damn business." Sasuke retorted, attempting to walk away.

"You're taking that pink haired girl, aren't you!?" She shrieked.

"That's right, bitch!" Naruto screamed at her. Sasuke shot him a glare, trying to express that he didn't want her knowing. Naruto stared at the ground as Karin stormed off.

"Great job, Dobe!" He punched Naruto in the arm. "If she goes after Sakura, I'm kicking your ass."

"Gah! I'm sorry, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted. "Hey, teme, if you and Itachi hate each other so much then why is he inviting you?" Naruto asked, with a stupid, confused expression on his face.

"I-I don't know." Sasuke muttered. "He's gotta be up to something." He glared.

*Meanwhile, at Sakura and Ino's dorm:*

"Ino-chan, I think I'm going to get some smoothies or maybe ice cream. Want anything?" Sakura asked.

"Uh, matte! Why don't I go with you?" She asked, remembering how Sasuke had told her to keep an eye on Sakura.

"No, no. I'd like some time alone for a while." She said, walking out the door. Ino cringed. Sakura walked to the parking lot to go to her car. Someone grabbed her arm and slammed her into a vehicle.

"Well, this is just perfect!" The person exclaimed. It was a girl's voice.

"Karin!?" Sakura asked. The girl gripped Sakura's hair and yanked her back to face her.

"How DARE you get the nerve to address me!" Karin shrieked. She opened the car door with her free hand and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a pair of scissors.

"Oh, Kami! What are the odds that I would end up walking passed her car at the same time she was in the area!?" Sakura thought in distress. Suddenly, the scissors collided with Sakura's hair and a chunk of it fell to the ground next to her. "Gah! Stop!" Sakura screamed, and began thrashing around frantically to get free of Karin's grip. Karin kept snipping as Sakura shook vigorously. Finally, Karin chopped off the last bit of Sakura's hair that she had a grasp on, and Sakura-still thrashing around-fell forward onto the pavement. Karin threw the last chunk of Sakura's hair at her face.

"Hah! So ugly." Karin chuckled, and walked away with her nose in the air and a smirk on her face. Sakura stared at the ground as her vision began to blur and her eyes began to burn with heat. She couldn't control her anger or desperation and tears flooded her face, multiple drops falling and blackening the pavement in front of her. Her sobs grew louder.

Sasuke and Naruto exited the dorm building, heading for the parking lot so they could revisit the mall. Naruto was rambling on and on about how Sasuke needed a suit and tie for the party.

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled.

"Well, I'm just saying, if you're taking Sakura you have to look nice!" He yelled back.

"No! Shut up and listen!" Sasuke said, covering Naruto's mouth. "Do you hear that?" He asked. Loud, short sobs were emanating from the front of the parking lot.


	8. The Poor and the Prevalent

Sasuke could see messy, pink hair as he peered over the side of a car. He sped around the vehicle until he was in front of the girl. She had her head buried in her knees as she wept. Thick, pink strands and chunks of hair surrounded her; a pair of scissors lay behind her.

"Sakura?" He asked. She glanced up, then quickly looked away, trying to hide her face from him. "What happened?" He asked. Naruto rounded the corner.

"Sakura-chan!" He screamed. "What happened!?" He flung himself to his knees next to her. She shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Karin?" Sasuke assumed. Sakura just looked at him with pleading eyes as more tears streamed down her cheeks. Sasuke growled and Naruto grabbed the scissors.

"Yeah! Isn't that her car?" Naruto shrieked, pointing to the car they were crouched next to. Sakura and Sasuke nodded. Naruto took the scissors and pressed them against her car, but Sasuke pulled his hand away.

"It isn't worth it, Naruto! You could get suspended or sued over damaged property!" Sasuke said.

"What about her!? She cut off Sakura-chan's hair!" Naruto screeched. Sasuke grumbled.

"She's gonna get what's coming to her." He said. Sakura looked up at him again, questioningly. He grabbed her by her elbows, lifting her up. He wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her. They walked back to her dorm and as they entered Ino gasped. Sasuke rushed over to her.

"What the hell! It was your job to watch her and make sure that Karin didn't do anything to her! You had one job, Ino, one fucking job!" Sasuke yelled. Ino flinched, biting her knuckles with a guilty expression on her face.

"I-I'm sorry, Sasuke!" She yelled. "She wanted to be alone! I didn't want to stress her out! I'm sorry!" She looked over at Sakura. Sakura's hair was extremely short in the back, just reaching the bottom of her ears. Her bangs were untouched. But the rest of her hair was unevenly cut, disheveled strands hung in her face and it looked like someone had repeatedly ruffled her hair. Ino's heart sank. "Sakura-chan, I'm SO sorry!" She screamed.

"It's your job to get back at Karin." Sasuke said. Ino gave him a panicked expression.

"But-" She began, but he cut her off.

"It's YOUR job." He said. Then he walked over to Sakura and stood in front of her. She looked up at him, unintentionally pouting, as he lightly brushed her hair out of her face. He sighed, and walked out of the room. Naruto, who was in silent awe about the entire scenario, followed quietly out the door.

"Sakura-chan…come over here. I'll fix your hair for you." Ino said. She slumped over to Ino. Ino went into the bathroom and grabbed a pair of scissors and a brush. She evened out Sakura's hair in the back, then cut her bangs slightly. When she was finished, Sakura had a cute bob cut. "He he, you look cute!" Ino giggled. Sakura just gave a delicate smile. She didn't talk much over the next few days, only when asked why she cut her hair. She told everyone that it was just too hot out to have long hair. Despite her anguish, she received many appreciated compliments about her new look. On Friday, Ino took her to buy a dress for the Akatsuki's party. Sakura bought a short, white strapless dress. It had a thick, red waistband and the skirt was frilly and poofy. The waistband hugged the curve of her waist perfectly and it looked amazing on her. Ino squealed with delight and Sakura giggled. That was the first time she had felt any joy since the incident. Ino bought a short, purple, halter top dress. The straps went around her neck and the back of the dress was open. The waistband hugged tightly and the skirt draped loosely. She looked gorgeous. They both picked out heels to compliment the outfit and headed back to campus.

Back at their dorm, the girls discussed the upcoming party. Ino was elated about being invited by Sakura. She was the kind of girl that loved being involved in EVERYTHING. Sakura was excited about the party, but she couldn't get her mind off of her anger towards Karin.

"Ino-chan, how are you going to get back at Karin?" She asked. Ino balled her hands into fists.

"Oh, I'm gonna beat her ass!" She yelled. "I can't believe the nerve of that little bitch!" Ino threw a pillow at the wall. Someone knocked on the door. Sakura answered, to find Sasuke being shoved into the room by Naruto.

"ASK, TEME!" Naruto said to Sasuke. Sasuke glared. "Sasuke wants to know if you'll go to the Akatsuki party with him!" Naruto asked for Sasuke. Sasuke punched him in the arm.

"Oh! Ano, Itachi…already invited me...and I asked Ino to go with me since Itachi mentioned in the note that he had invited you." She replied.

"Ooooh." Naruto said, glancing at Sasuke and preparing himself to get hit by the raven haired boy for embarrassing him. But Sasuke was staring suspiciously at Sakura.

With an irritated tone, he asked, "He…invited you?" Sakura nodded. He nodded back. "Aa." Then he turned and dragged Naruto out the door.


	9. Let the Party Begin

Friday was finally here. Ino and Sakura began to get dressed a few hours before the party, trying to take their time so that they'd look their best. Ino applied a hint of white eye shadow to her eyes, then a thin line of black eye liner above her top lid. She then applied a small amount of black mascara to her top and bottom lashes. This way, her eyes looked pretty, but more natural. Ino never liked to overdo it and add too much makeup. She added a small touch of clear lip gloss to give her lips a gentle shine, once again trying not to overdo it. She curled her long blonde hair and pulled it into a messy bun, letting glimmering strands of pale blonde fall from the hold and hang down in thick spiral curls. She curled the shortest part of her bangs back and curled the longest part into one long, thick spiral curl. It slid along her cheek, over her shoulder and along her collarbone. She gave a cocky grin as she examined herself in the mirror.

Sakura added a small amount of peach eye shadow. It was a pale pink color and it went perfectly with her skin tone while giving her lids a shimmering glow. She added light brown eye liner to her top and bottom lid, and then added a hint of brown mascara. The makeup looked natural yet made her eyes stand out more than they already did, being so large and green. The mascara made her lashes longer. She wore a pair of white heels to go with the dress. The straps of the heels wrapped around her ankle and up her calves. She curled her short hair into small, tight, spiral curls. To complete this Goddess appearance, she applied a thin, hipster-looking, floral headband over her hair. It wrapped around her head and hugged her bangs against her forehead. The headband was made of green elastic strings and contained little red, white and pink flowers as well as little green leaves. For a finishing touch, she decided to add a light amount of pale pink lipstick to her lips.

Ino turned around to see what her roommate had to say about her appearance, only to have her mouth left agape by the sight before her.

"Holy shit!" Ino screamed. "Well, this totally makes me re evaluate my outfit." She said in a stunned tone. Sakura giggled.

"Are you kidding!? You look great!" Sakura replied, flushing lightly from Ino's expression.

"Yeah, but I hate to admit not that great!" She yelped, gesturing along Sakura's body. Sakura giggled again.

"Well, we don't have time to change!" Sakura said while sticking her tongue out. "It's time to go!"

Naruto and Sasuke began to get ready half an hour before the party. Naruto was running around in consternation, asking Sasuke what he thought of all the different ties he was trying on. Sasuke dressed quietly, lagging behind in agitation. He didn't even want to go.

"Come on, teme!" Naruto yelled from the bathroom. "You wanna look your best for Sakura-chan!" He chuckled. Sasuke groaned.

"Do you even know how gay you sound? You sound like a nagging wife." Sasuke remarked, smirking.

"Well, if I sound like a nagging wife then I'm a woman, ergo you'd be the man. And so it's not gay. Though, I'd rather be the guy!" Naruto yelled.

"Neh. You'll always be an uke because you're such a dobe." Sasuke chuckled.

"Gah! Now who sounds gay, teme!?" Naruto screeched. Sasuke twitched.

"Just shut up and get ready." He growled.

"Wha - Are you ready!?" He asked, confused.

"Hn." Was all Sasuke replied. Naruto peaked around the bathroom door to look at Sasuke. He was sitting on his bed wearing a black suit with a blue tie. He really hadn't changed his appearance at all except for the tie.

"Egh, Sasuke! You don't look any fancier!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Why would I try to look fancy just to see Itachi?" Sasuke grumbled.

"You won't just be seeing Itachi, you'll be seeing Sakura-chan too!" Naruto challenged. Sasuke sighed.

"I don't care. Just hurry up and get ready." He growled.

"Fine! But don't blame me when she refuses to dance with you! Heh heh." Naruto chuckled, skipping back into the bathroom.

"I don't dance." Sasuke said.

As they arrived at the Art Hall, Sakura's nerves made her tense. She eyed the other guests entering the doors and swallowed hard. Ino sighed and gripped Sakura's wrist, dragging her to the doors. A bouncer stood in the doorway.

"Name?" He demanded. Ino elbowed Sakura.

"Ano, Sakura Haruno." Sakura mumbled. The man nodded and moved aside, staring her down as he let her pass. As Sakura hesitated, Ino grabbed her wrist once again and began to drag her through crowds of people. The hall was LARGE! There was light music playing and people talking amongst groups around the sides of the room. Suddenly the music was shut off and everyone turned their attention towards the balcony at the top of the stairs. As Sakura and Ino let their gazes shift, they spotted eight figures standing against the railing; seven men and a woman. The woman wore a short black dress with a small, short-sleeved jacket that hung loosely over it. The bottom layer of the dress was made out of fishnet and both the top and bottom layer were trimmed in red. Her hair was short and dark blue. She had the top layer of it pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a big, white flower on the right side. Sakura also noticed that this girl had a labret (the center of her lip) piercing. She assumed she took recognition of the girl first because she was the only female in the group.

Her glance then shifted to the man whose arm the girl had a hold on the right. The man had orange, spiky hair and many piercings along his face. He had three piercings along the bridge of his nose, spiky snake bites, and seven earrings in each ear. His eyes were as orange as his hair. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie. Sakura then noticed that all of the men were wearing the same black suit and red tie. However, Itachi had his tie untied and it hung loosely against his jacket. She giggled discretely.

As she eyed the group, she took note of all their faces. There was a guy with light blue hair wearing thick, black eyeliner on his top lid, grinning down at everyone. He had perfectly straight, white teeth. His eyes were dark, almost black. Standing next to him was Itachi, with a slight smirk on his face as he caught Sakura's stare. To the right of him stood a redhead with red eyes, smiling lightly at the crowd. To the right of the redhead stood a guy with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. The top layer of his hair was pulled back into a ponytail while his bangs, flipped to the left side, hung freely in his face. He, too, wore black eyeliner around his eyes. To the right of the blonde stood a guy with violet eyes and gray hair that hung down to his shoulders. He had it slicked back with gel. Next to him stood a very pale guy with green hair and yellow eyes.

Sakura twitched. This was, indeed, a group of punks. Suddenly, the guy with the piercings spoke.

"Hello, all. I'm Pein. Normally, we wouldn't go through the tedious process of introducing ourselves. However, we have a few freshmen joining us this year." He said. Sakura could hear quite a few whispers from the crowd as he announced that there were freshmen. Things like "Why?" and "I wonder who could be that important." Pein looked at the girl next to him and nodded.

"Hello. I'm Konan." She smiled and nodded at the crowd. She looked at the blue haired guy next to Pein.

"Sup? I'm Kisame!" He announced, flashing his white teeth yet again.

"I'm Itachi." Itachi smirked. Every girl in the room seemed to scream and whistle. Kisame chuckled and shook his head.

"I am Sasori." The redhead introduced quietly.

"I am Deidara." The blonde smirked, his blue eyes sparkling. A few girls swooned again.

"I am Hidan." Said the gray haired man, giving a cocky grin and a wave.

"And I am Zetsu." Said the guy with green hair. His voice was low-toned, raspy and high-pitched. It creeped Sakura out.

"We are the Akatsuki. We're a senior art group here at the University. I, myself, am a professor." Pein said. "I hope you enjoy our party." With the last introduction they all nodded with a smile and began to descend down the staircase, one after another. Everyone resumed their discussions and groups. Sakura looked over at Ino, who seemed to be thinking the same thing she was.

"Odd." Sakura said. Ino nodded, wide eyed.


End file.
